Friction shock-absorbing mechanism



J. F. OCONNOR FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBINQ MECHANISM Original Filed Maroh'l?, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 22, 1927. 1,650,379

J. F/OCONNOR FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBING MEGHNISM Original Filed March 12, 1925 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2 Ira/afar WL Jai Jan/ZW @naar Patented Nov.. 22, 1927.

Unirse STATI-:s

PATE NT OFFICE; Y

Jonnn O'OONNOR, onomoAGQiLLmors, AssIGNOR, BY ME'sNnAssI'GNMENTa-,TO

f w.. n. Minen, INC., A CORPORATION or DELAWARE. 1

anteriori SHOOK-ABSORBING 'MEOHANISM Application led March 12, 1923, Serial No. 624,313, Renewed May 21, 1,927.

` This invention relates to improvements in- `friction shock absorbing mechanisms.

One object of the invention is to provide a frictionl lshock absorbing mechanism especially adaptedfor railway draft riggings, wherein are obtained high capacity and certain release.

e More specifically, an object of the vinvention is to provide improvements on that type of friction draft gear comin'oiily known as lVestingliouse,7 and by which improvements the use of the relatively expensive and comparatively fast wearing anti-friction pads, usually heretofore employed in said type of gear, is dispensed with. Other objects of the invention will 'more vclearly appear from the description and struction. And Figure l is a side elevational view of one of the combined frictionshoes and carriers employed in the gear.

' In said drawings, lO-lO denote the usual channel draft sills of a car underframe, toy

the inner faces of which are secured front stop Ylugs 1l and rear stop lugs l2. A poi'- tion of a draw bar is indicated at 13, the same being operativelyV associated with a hooded cast yoke 14 within which is disposed said shoclr absorbing mechanism proper and also a front follower 15 and a rear follower 16. The yolre andparts therewith aresupported in operative position'by detachable saddle plate 17. Inasmuch'as the friction gearV employs a cylinder Ofsubstantially cylindrical form, centering guide platesA l8-18 are preferably employed on the inner sides of the draft sills l0.

. The improved shoclr absorbing mechanism proper, as shown, comprises, broadly, a combined friction shell and spring cage casting A; a main release spring B; an auxiliary' release spring C; a plurality of carriers DD; a plurality of friction elements 'or splines E-E; a sectional wedge F; a main spring G; an auxiliary preliminary spring H: and a releaseepin d.

The casting A is of substantially eylindrical form throughout having the 'friction shell proper 19 formed at its front o r Outer end and the spring cage proper 2O at its rear or inner end. Said casting has an integral transverse wall 21 abutting-the rear follower 16. On its interior, the friction shell section 19 is provided with ya series of longitudinally extending, substantially V- shaped grooves 22-22 uniformly arranged around the interior of the shell. The sui"- faces defining said grooves 22 are preferably converged longitudinally inwardly of the .shell so asto render the latter tapered.

T he carriers, preferably eight in number, are of elongated form and each is provided, near its inner end, with van inwardly radially projecting lug 23. On its exterior, each of said elements D is provided with 'a centrally disposed, integral, radially outwardly projecting, strengthening rib 24 of Wedge cross-section, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2. In addition, each of the elements D is recessed `on its exterior face, as best indicated at 25 in Figure l, tol somewhat loosely accommodate correspondingly shaped lugs 26 provided on the splines E. The'recesses and lugs 25 and 26 may be made with different amounts Of lost motion,` therebetween so as to provide for a successive actuation of the splines E. Each spline E has an outer wedge-shaped edge fitting, Within and cooperable with" a groove 22 of the shell. In actual practice,the front or outer ends of the elements Dv are normally spaced a predetermined distancefi'om the front follower 15 so that said elements D will not be actuatednntil a predetermined preliminary spring action has occurred. When this amount of preliminary springl Vaction has taken place, it is obvious that the elements D will be directly actuated by the yforce transmitted from the drawbar through the follower l5.

Each of the lugs 23 of the elements D is so formed as to provide a rearwardly facing transverse shoulder 27 .against which bears the front end of the main spring B, the rear end of the latter bearing on the wall x21. In carrying out my invention, certain of the thefront follower 15. tions 30 and 3l are provided with flat transelements D are provided with keener wedge faces on the lugs 23 than others, and preferably four, or half of the total number of the elements D, will have a wedge face 28, as best shown in Figure l, extending at an angle of approximately 221/20 with respect to the axis of the mechanism. r[he remaining four-.elements D will have wedge faces 29 extending at a somewhat blunter angle with respect to the axis oi' the mechanism and preferably at an angle of approximateiy seo.

The wedge means, designated broadly by the reference character F, preferably consists of two sections 30 and 3l, parted on a diametrical plane passingl through the axis of the mechanism as best shown in Figure 3. 'l'he section 3() is provided with four wedge faces extendingl at tie same angle 'Ui the wedge faces 29 and cooperating vi of the fout: corresponi.l Cf'le's D- The other section 3l of the wedge means provided with four wedge Vvfaces 33-33 extending at the same angle as and cooperable with the wedge faces 28 of the ot-her four carriers D. By forn'iing the wedge means in two sections, it is evident that the two section-1 are adapted to shift longitudinally relatively to each other on the parting faces indicatedat 34, in Figure 3, for the purpose hereinafter described.

The sections 30 and 3l of the wedge means are provided with front flat transversely extending bearing faces 35 against which rests the inner end of the main preliminaryv spring` Gr, the front end of the latter bearing against Also, the wedge secversely extending inner faces 36', against which bears a collar 37 formed on the release pin J, the two sections 30 and 3l being suitably recessed to loosely accommodate the thickerportion of the shank of the pin J, as best shown in Figure 1. Said release pin J, at its front end, carries a nut 88 be- -tween which and the front faces 35 of the wedge sections, is interposed the auxiliary preliminary spring H. The auxiliary release spring bears at its forward end against the collar 37 and at its inner end against the wall 21. As clearly shown in Figure l, the front end of the release pin J and nut carried thereby is normally spaced from the front follower l5, but at a lesser distance therefrom than the front ends of .thecarriers D.

movement as that of the follower l5. As-

will be evident, by the time the carriers D are set in motion, an effective wedging actron will have been set up tending to force the friction elements radially outwardly of the shell and insuring the desirable'frictionlal contact between the shell, on the one hand,

and the splines, on the other hand. As the carriers l) move inwardly of the shell, they will be compelled to gradually approach each other laterally, due to the taper ,of the shell, and this is accommodated primarily on the blunter angle faces 29 and 32, which, in turn, will induce a very slight relative longitudinal slippage between the wedgesec-Y tions 30 and 3l, the slippage being in a manner to allow the blunt angle wedge section 3G 'to recede slightly with respect to thewedge section Bl. Obviously, this is accommodated by reason of the yielding resistance between the two wedge sections and the front follower l5.

Upon removal of the actuating force, the preliminary spring G is free to exert its a'ction upon the follower l5 to disengage it from the ends of the elements D. Simultaneously, the two springs C and H exert their fo 1ce upon the release pin J, imparting a rapid movement to the latter and causing a sudden blow against the inner ends ofthe wedge sections or the two sections in succession, if the same are appreciably shifted longitudinally during the compression stroke. rlhis serves to collapse the wedge friction unit sutciently to relieve the pressure between the friction elements and the shell, whereupon the main release spring B is operative to restore all of the parts back to their normal position. i n

lVith my improvement, l am enabled to dispense with the relatively expensive and comparatively soft antifriction pads heretofore commonly employed on the wedging means, without in any way militating against the certain release of the mechanism.` Furthermore, by employing the different wedge angles heretofore described, the so-called keener angles of my improved mechanism may be made keener than those deemed possible heretofore with a consequent increase in the frietional capacityvof the mechanism and without danger of bursting the shell, inasmuch as the blunter wedging faces 29 and 32 operate more or less in the manner of lyillustrative and I contemplatev all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claimsappende'dliereto. y

Iclaim:` Y' l. In a friction shock absorbing vmechanisni, the combination with a friction'shel-l;

of a plurality of friction elements onthe interior of and cooperable with said shell; a

follower; a springresistance for said elen ments; spreading means for applying lateral pressure to said friction elements, said means including wedge means and wedge elements interposed'between said means and thefriction elements, said means and wedge elements having co-operating sets of wedge faces, certain of said sets of faces being disposed at relatively blunt angles with reference to the longitudinal axis of the mechanism and the remaining sets being disposed at keen angles to said axis, each set of keen faces being transversely opposed to one of said blunt sets; and yieldingmeans interposed between said wedge means and the follower.

2. In a frictionA shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a friction shell having interior friction surfaces converged inwardly of the shell; of a plurality of friction elements onthe interior of and co-operable with the friction surfaces of said shell;-A

lateral pressure transmitting members Vcooperating with said elements,` each of said members having an inner wedge face, the faces of some of said members being inclined at a more acute angle thanV the faces of the others with respect to the line of applied force, said elements being adapted to receive the actuating pressure; a follower; a spring resistance for said elements; a wedge means having a plurality of wedge faces co-operating respectively with the wedge faces of said aressure transmittinc' members and similarly inclined thereto; and spring means cooperable with said wedge means.

3, In a fic ion shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a friction shell; of a plurality of friction elements on the interior of and coonerable with said shell; lateral pressure transmitting members cooperating with said elements, said members being adapted to receive the actuating pressure and provided on their inner sides with' wedge faces, certain of said wedge yfaces extending at a lieener angle with respect to the,

axis ofthe mechanism than others; a follower adapted to engage the outer ends ofV -said members, a spring resistance for said ymembers; a sectional'A wedge having correspondingly differently inclinedV wedge` faces cooperable -with the wedve faces of said members; and-springineans interposed between' said follower and saidsectional wedge.

inwardlyof the shell; vof a piurality offric- .l l 1. Iii-a friction `shock absorbing mecha-v insin,1.tlie combinationl with a friction shell having interior friction surfaces converged tion elementsv on the' interior of and coop- Y Veiablewith said-'friction surfaces of the shell.; wedwe slices cooperating 'with said elements, saidshoes beingadapted to receive the' actuating pressure and provided on their inner sides with wedge faces, certain ofsaid faces extending' at a keener angle than others with respect to the line of applied force;-a follower adapted Ito engage the outer ends-of said shoes; a sectional wedge having correspondingly inclined wedge faces cooperable with Vsaid dil lentlyinclined wedge faces of said shoes; and spring means interposedbetween 'Y said follower and the sectional wedge. i

5. In" a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a shell having interior friction surfaces; of a plurality of carrier elements within said shell, said elements being arranged to receive the actuating pressure havinginner wedgefaces, certain of said faces extending at a more acute angle than others, relative to the line of applied force; friction members interposed between said carrier elements and the friction surfaces of the shell; a follower; a spring resistance for said elements; and a two-part wedge coi-operable with said wedge faces of the carrier, one part having a wedge face extending atv a keener angle than a wedgeface on the other part i'elative to the line spective frictionelements, the parts of said wedge being shiftable relative to each other; f

and spring means interposed' between said follower and wedge.

G. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination. with a friction shell having a plurality of longitudinally extend- A ing grooves on the interior thereof; of a follower; a plurality of carriers within the shell and each provided with a wedge face on its inner side; a plurality of splines mounted on said carriers and cooperable with some of said grooves of the shell;

a main release spring cooperable with said carriers; wedge means having wedge faces extending at different angles with respect to the axis of the mechanism; an. auxiliary release spring co'operable with said wedge' means; a release pin cooperable with said wedge means; a main preliminary spring interposed between said follower and the wedge means; and a second preliminary spring operatively interposed between said pin and the wedge means.` Y

7. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a friction shell having a. plurality of longitudinally extending grooves on the interior thereof; of a follower; a plurality of carriers within the shell and each provided with a wedge face on its inner side;` a plurality of splines mounted on said carriers and cooperable with some of said grooves of the shell; a main release spring cooperable with said carriers; wedge means having wedge faces extending at diiierent angles with respect to the axis of the mechanism; an auxiliary release spring cooperable with said wedge means; a release pin cooperable with said Wedge means; a main preliminary spring interposed between said follower and the wedge means; and a second preliminary spring operatively interposed between said pin and the wedge means, said wedge means comprising independentsections.

shell; spring means resisting movement of o said elements; and combined wedge pressure and spreading means cooperating with said elements, said means including a two-part wedge block, each part of said block having 1 a pluralty of wedge faces; the' faces of one of said parts being disposed :it-relatively keen wedge acting angles with reference to the longitudinal axis yof the mechanism and the faces of the other part being disposed at relatively blunt angles to said axis, and tiie Wedge lfaces of one of said parts Abeing transversely opposed to the faces of the other part.

ln witness that I claiml the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of March 1923.

JOHN r. oooNNoR. 

